Meow-meow led to my son's death

Campaigners today warned of the growing danger of mephedrone -known as meow-meow - following the death of a teenager from a drugs binge.

The mother of Freddy McConnel, who died from a heroin overdose, has blamed the former "legal high" for acting as a gateway drug to stronger substances.

Today experts said the death of the 18-year-old public schoolboy - who was friends with Peaches Geldof - was part of a trend.

Drugs campaigner Maryon Stewart said: "Increasing numbers of kids are still taking meow-meow despite the fact it was outlawed last year. The ban has not done a lot. This poor lad's demise is yet another tragic waste of life."

Mr McConnel was a talented musician and table tennis champion and had competed on Junior Mastermind.

His mother, cartoonist Annie Tempest, told his inquest yesterday: "Freddy's diaries clearly state that he knew his downward spiral started with what was then a legal high, mephedrone. It was a gateway to his ultimate death."

Westminster coroner's court heard that Mr McConnel became obsessed with Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty, who has drugs convictions. His father, composer James McConnel, has said Doherty should "take responsibility for the drug culture he has engendered".

Ms Tempest added: "Freddy's death was of course a tragic waste of a young life, but as his parents we can only hope that the moderate amount of publicity it has raised may help to bring attention to bear not only on the dangers of drugs but on those who publicly glorify them."

Coroners' officer Deborah Plant said: "Tragically Freddy had his demons and what began as experimenting with drugs at 13 gradually morphed into the full-on disease of addiction."

He was expelled from school and sent to rehab and "military-style brat camp" in the US to keep him away from drugs but all failed.

At one point Mr McConnel was taking 30 grams of mephedrone a week and at 16 he was smoking up to a gram of heroin a day. He was sectioned after a psychotic episode.

His body was found at his Battersea flat on May 28 when his parents sent a friend round to check on him.

Official statistics show that more than one in 25 teenagers and young adults - nearly 300,000 people - admitted using mephedrone last year, making it the second most popular drug after cannabis.

Mephedrone, also known as M-Cat, hardly registered in drugs surveys three years ago. The white powder is sold online as plant food or bath salts, with a gram costing between £20 and £25.

It can leave users paranoid and overstimulate the heart which can lead to fits or death.